Becoming the Akatsuki Leader
by Neotonix
Summary: Naruto is powerful. Unbelievably so. So how does a kid that has a couple years until he becomes Hokage spend his time? By hunting down Akatasuki of course! But things happen and his mission changes, eventually causing him to take over the group.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Neotonix: So, I'm sure all of you guys are like... "WTF? YOU'RE DOING ANOTHER STORY? FINISH ONE FIRST!" But please, hear me out. Ever since I started reading/writing fanfiction, there's always been one particular idea that stayed in the back of my mind. Well, I promise that I won't make any new stories until at least two of them are finished after this. Also, this chapter was written like... about three months ago, so I thought 'hey! Might as well update something!' So just enjoy the ride.

Summary: Naruto is powerful. Unbelievably so. So how does a kid that has a couple years until he becomes Hokage spend his time? By hunting down Akatasuki of course! However, the mission soon becomes complicated as he joins an infamous group and eventually becomes their leader.

Being the Akatsuki Leader

Chapter 1: But he's just a kid!

"Uzumaki Naruto."

A black clad boy no older than ten stood in front of the head clans while the Hokage shifted through his papers.

"You became a genin at age five, while taking the Chunin exam the same year. You then joined ANBU at age seven, while you also trained for the Jounin exams. Finally, at the age of nine, you became the Alpha captain of ANBU with S class clearance."

Several clansmen murmured while many stared at the apathetic child in fear.

Naruto looked up at the clansmen with a cold and calculated stare. His bright blue eyes showed more experience than innocence and his mouth was drawn taut. Looking around, he saw anger, jealousy, sadness, and confusion. Looking back at the Hokage, he smiled as he silently thanked the old man for callint this meeting.

Clearing his throat, the Hokage continued. "I understand that you wanted this meeting to discuss your position since the council members have asked you to give up your current position."

Several men suddenly broke out in conversation as they wondered if the Hokage would finally force the child to give up such an influential position.

Sarutobi smiled before looking straight at Naruto. "It says here that you wish to apply for Hokage."

At this, the whole room went up in an outrage as each man and woman yelled out in anger. Shouts of "He's just going to ruin the village" and "Look at that Itachi! He had too much power and now the entire Uchiha clan is dead!" flew through the room. Naruto looked undaunted however, as he knew that this was bound to happen.

The Hokage, thinking the whole tantrum ridiculous, raised his hand to signal the rowdy council members to be quiet.

"As I was saying, Naruto applied for the position of Hokage. However, it says here that he wishes to wait until he's sixteen." Pausing lightly, the Hokage looked at Naruto in mild curiosity. "And why sixteen Naruto? You've already fulfilled all of the requirements for being Hokage."

Naruto stepped forward as he talked in a soft but commanding voice. "Although you say these things, Hokage-sama, I am unfit to be the villager's leader at this time. I still lack the proper experience."

The Hokage frowned as he looked at Naruto's papers. "But you've taken at least twice the amount of S ranked missions most ninjas have ever taken in their entire lives. I'm sure that your missions list guarantees the amount of experience you've gained."

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, I believe that you're blinded by numbers and statistics. Despite my achievements, I am aware that there is much more to the world than just Konoha. My knowledge and experience is limited and my social interactions have been limited to ANBU. Therefore, I wish to travel the world and visit new places, experiencing all that there is to offer in this world."

Immediately a council member stood up as he growled at the young boy. "How do we know you won't share our village's secrets with the others?!"

A few murmurs shot through the assembly as they nodded in agreement.

Naruto sighed as he held up what appeared to be nine golden bracelets. "These are jutsu inhibitors. By recording jutsu into them, my body will no longer be able to open the chakra pathways needed to use the selected techniques. I give you my assurance that I will not use any of this village's recorded jutsus."

"Those seem like ordinary bands to me. Are you sure that they'll work? How do we know that you're not lying?"

"Because I made them." A broad figure emerged from the shadows as the grinning face of Jiraiya baffled the council. "Do you people not trust the great Toad Sennin of the Sannin to make such a device? Rest assured, each bracelet can store up to five hundred jutsu. Plus, the only way to take them off is with the Hokage's own chakra. So don't worry about it you old farts!" Chuckling Jiraiya gave a thumbs up to Naruto before standing off to the side.

Seeing that the hermit was finished, Naruto cleared his throat as he looked up at the Hokage. "Therefore, I bring up once again the request of traveling. I will report every month and visit the village every year. I believe that my absence will take at most six years. At that time, I will return and apply for the Hokage position."

The majority of the council nodded as they saw an opening. There was no doubt that the boy was intelligent and strong. It was even better if one of their own was able to learn jutsu from the other elemental countries. However, there was the issue of the demon fox. But if their leader seemed okay with it...

Hyuuga Hiashi frowned as he looked upon the boy with a critical eye. He had already seen the bracelets with the Byakugan and, judging from the intricately placed chakra seals, it appeared to do what he and the sannin said it would do. But to allow one individual to have so much power...

The Hokage smiled as he placed the papers in the folder. From the beginning he had been aware of the young boy's plans. Despite Naruto's incredible strength, he would have never given the young child the burden of becoming Hokage at such a young age. Even sixteen was pushing it. "Are there any objections?"

Quite a few hands went up, but the majority stayed down.

"Well then. Uzumaki Naruto, I hereby release you from your current title and give you full passage outside of our village in the name of a six year long S rank mission."

With that, the Hokage put on his hat and stood up. The council members had immediately started to argue again, but the old man decided that he had quite enough of that for one day. Apparently, Naruto felt the same way since the quiet blond quickly disappeared out of the building.

OooOo

Kakashi walked through the halls as he clutched the summons in his hand. It had been four years already since his resignation from Anbu. Yet here he was, stalking through Anbu headquarters with a letter of notice from the current Anbu captain. He had heard that this one was probably the youngest one to date, with a genius IQ of over two hundred. Rumors had already shifted through the entire Jounin network with whispers of "He's supposed to be as strong as the Third from when he was in his prime" and "I heard he was chosen to be the next Hokage at the age of eight." Either way, Kakashi hoped that this new "genius" would let him stay a retired Anbu ninja and live his life in leisure. Stopping in front of a large door, he looked up at the fox insignia at the top.

_Interesting symbol. _Mused Kakashi while he knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Kakashi noted the lightness in the voice, showing that he couldn't be any older than a teenager. Opening the door, the copy nin bowed before walking towards the desk.

"You wanted to see me sir?"

The chair suddenly shifted as a blond boy with a black mask and ANBU robe turned around to look at him. Kakashi suddenly gasped in surprise as he felt the amount of chakra that the ninja was emitting. His demeanor was incredible. His eyes never lost focus and seemed to stare right down his soul. His posture was comfortable yet ready, with battle experience rolling off of him in waves.

He was also no older than ten.

Kakashi gaped stupidly at the boy as he stuttered. "You... How old are you? No more than ten, right?" Kakashi paused lightly before adding. "Sir?"

Naruto huffed as he stood up to his full height of 4 feet. "I'm turning ten this October. But that's besides the point. I didn't call you here for the sake of..." The boy stopped as he saw the Jounin sifting through his vest.

"What are you doing?" He asked in slight annoyance.

"Wait... I think I had some in here..." Kakashi looked through his pockets as he suddenly felt something. "Ah ha! Here we go!" Taking out a handful of sweets, Kakashi put it on the desk as he smiled brightly. "I just thought that you might have wanted some candy."

The Anbu captain smiled lightly before taking one. "Thank you." Clearing his throat, his face suddenly became solemn again. "The reason why I called you in today was because of a certain favor I wanted to ask of you. As you have probably heard, I'm next in line to become the Hokage. However, I will not become Hokage for several years.

Kakashi nodded, wondering where this was going.

"Today's meeting with the council insured this, since I convinced them that it would be ideal for me to travel around the world to gain more experience."

"I see. But why share this with me?"

Naruto took another piece of candy before talking. "My reasons for traveling are actually half true. The greater part of my decision came from an interesting report I received earlier this week. Tell me Hatake-san. Do you know who Uchiha Itachi is?"

Kakashi's eyes widened as he remembered the Uchiha massacre. "Yes. Supposedly he assassinated the clan in one night, leaving a single survivor. He was my junior when I was in ANBU."

"Hm.. yes. Well, I have reason to believe that he's joined a...troubling organization. My men have looked into it. Akatsuki's the name I believe. Unfortunately, it's comprised of nine double S class criminals that could easily overtake the shinobi populace. As Hokage, it would have become impossible for me to go out and take this organization down since my duty would require me to stay in Konoha."

"But why not just keep your current position. Surely they'll let you move around the country?"

"No, you're wrong. The council distrusts me now, especially since I am coming of age. I heard that they were going to strip my rank anyways." Looking around, the blond seemed nostalgic and pensive. "It'll be hard to leave this office."

Kakashi nodded. An ANBU's home was nonexistant. They basically lived in their offices. When they weren't in their offices, they were on a mission. It was a cruel lifestyle, but it was nevertheless efficient.

"So can I ask again why you're telling me this?"

Naruto smiled brightly. "Because you will be helping me."

OooOo

Kakashi sat in his bed while thinking over the day's events. It had been such an ordinary day. No missions, no meetings, no obligations... The child had surprise him though when he had asked for information on the sharingan. True, since he wasn't of Uchiha blood he had just the information he knew from working with it, but there wasn't exactly a large pool of experienced Sharingan users anyway. It took about an hour to explain all of its strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the small blond child had requested him to keep records on all the major events in the village. He would act as his secret intel in the village just in case the council wanted to hide things from him.

_Huh... Uzumaki Naruto. I can tell that you're hiding a deep secret. It'll be interesting to see you how you change in these next six years. Don't worry, I'll try to hold out and keep this village safe while you're gone._

OooOo

Naruto quietly packed his bags under the moonlit sky. It pained him to leave his home behind, but for the sake of the village... Deciding that thinking would only cause him to linger, he quickly grabbed his bag and scrolls and melted through the building. Materializing outside, he sprinted towards the village gates and jumped over them in one bound. The security was too easy to bypass. He would have to fix that when he came back. Smiling, Naruto threw one last quick glance at his village before bounding for the last location that the Akatsuki members were spotted.

It was morning when Naruto finally stopped to rest. Spotting a few apples near him, he silently picked them up and cleaned them with a solution. Although his body only needed one meal per day, apples were always nice to eat. His small snack was interrupted though as he heard voices coming from the foliage.

"Itachi, why do we have to walk through here? Couldn't we take a proper road?"

"Silence Kisame."

"Oi, Itachi. I'm feeling something strange."

"That is why I asked you to be silent."

"Oh..."

Naruto swore as he looked around. The two were close. Deciding that the best plan of action was to hide, he quickly jumped into the trees and melded into them with a genjutsu. Soon enough, the two ninja that had been conversing before walked into the area.

"Ohhh... Look Itachi. Apples!"

"Quiet. Whoever that person was, they're still here."

Naruto held his breath as he recognized the two figures.

"Come out. I can see you clearly in the trees. You can't hide from my sharingan."

Naruto smiled before dismissing the genjutsu. Oh well, he had been trying to find them anyways. "Uchiha Itachi. S Rank missing nin from Konoha. Responsible for wiping out the entire Uchiha clan in one night and attaining the infamous Mangenkyo sharingan." Turning to the other man, Naruto set a grim expression. "Hoshigake Kisame. S Class missing nin from Kiri. Famous for his brutal kenjutsu style. Originally a part of the Seven Swordsmen. Now, how is it that two fine gentlemen like you are on such a beaten path?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the information while Kisame grinned.

"Hey, Itachi. Do you think this guy's like a stalker?"

Itachi frowned as he shook his head. "You know too much for a child. You must be around my brother's age."

Naruto jumped down from a branch and stood at his impressive full height of four feet. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I ran away from Konoha because of their harsh treatment. I've decided to join you guys and gain enough power to destroy it once I'm strong enough."

Itachi almost snorted at the boy's words. "Stop deluding yourself. It is not possible to take down an entire ninja village. A ninja village is not only built on the strongest ninja. It has jounin, Anbu, chuunin, and genin. And furthermore, you're nothing but a child. Go back to your village and play with the sand."

Kisame looked nervous as he looked at Naruto. "Hey Itachi. But didn't the leader say that we had to collect-"

Itachi harshly glanced at Kisame, effectively cutting him off. "There is no need to capture him now. After all, we are supposed to wait anyways."

The two then turned to go when Naruto quickly formed a few handseals.

**Katon: Kasaitama (Fire Release: Fireball)**

A fireball the size of a basketball flew at Itachi's back. Kisame quickly turned to deflect the attack with his sword while Itachi jumped at Naruto. Smirking, the blond pulled out two kunai-like trench knives and placed his fingers into them. Itachi's eyes widened as he saw a long blade of wind materialize on the ends of the blades. With a burst of chakra, the sharingan wielder quickly dodged to the side and threw five shuriken simultaneously. Those were simply a distraction though, since he already had a Kage Bunshin ready behind the boy.

"You're still too weak to take us on." Itachi shoved his hand through the boy's torso, but was shocked to find the body made of leaves instead." Cursing, he quickly dashed away before seeing the area he had just been standing on be obliterated by a blue spiraling orb.

_This kid... actually knows the Rasengan? _

Naruto slowly stood up as he retracted his hand from the ground. It was good that the council didn't know that he knew the Rasengan. Besides, his original techniques like the Kasaitama weren't part of the village jutsu archives. Of course, Kage Bunshin wasn't out of the question because of the bands.

"Very good Itachi. Your speed is as incredible as I thought it would be. Moreover, you have chakra weights on. I am thoroughly impressed.

Itachi smiled slightly as he regained his breath. "You're good kid. I actually think you might have a chance in our organization. However, if Kisame had helped me..."

"No. That wouldn't have been possible. Because right now, Kisame is trapped by my other clones."

Itachi's eyes widened as he saw Kisame surrounded in a cage of invisible wind knives. "When did you..."

"It was simple. Your friend simply underestimated me. Now, will you allow me to join you?"

Itachi thought for a second before smirking. Even if it was a trap, the leader would be able to deal with him. The boy had definite skill, but it was still leagues below their leader's. And after all, if the boy was telling the truth, he would prove to be a valuable asset later.

"Okay Uzumaki. You may come with us. This week's meeting place is just six kilometers from here."

Naruto nodded and dismissed the wind blades surround Kisame. "Thank you for your help. I hope we'll get along in the future Kisame-san."

Kisame grumbled as he followed Itachi and Naruto. At this rate, he would end up being teamed up with Deidara...or even that freaky guy Zetsu.

_But still... That fire jutsu he used on me earlier was more than it seemed. Just one attack nearly filled up almost a fourth of the chakra in the sword. And my sword's chakra limit is well over the chakra reserves of multiple Kages. Something isn't right about him._

"Kisame, you're lingering. Pick up your feet."

The shark man grinned and waved him away. "Yeah yeah. I'm coming."

Naruto smiled as he followed the two into a small cave. If his plans worked accordingly, the organization would fall in a matter of months. The world seemed to favor him. He hadn't expected to meet up with the Akatski members, no less Itachi, so quickly. His thoughts were interrupted though as he felt a multitude of presences assault his senses.

Suddenly, seven ninja with incredible chakra levels jumped out to meet them. Each one had at least the chakra capacity of a Kage, with one of them actually exceeding several Kage.

_That must be the leader..._

"Who is this kid? Explain yourself Kisame and Itachi."

"Ch... He's just some kid that we picked up on the way because he was interesting."

Itachi smiled as he corrected his partner's statement. "He's not just any child. He is Uzumaki Naruto of the leaf village and the carrier of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Furthermore, his strength is far beyond any normal ninja."

The leader looked thoughtful for a second before smiling eerily. "Well now. We must not be rude to our guest. Welcome Uzumaki Naruto, missing nin of the Konoha village."

Naruto looked carefully at the man before thinking. _Now where have I seen his face before..._

"I am the Akatsuki leader. Although to my colleagues, I am known as Uchiha Madara."

TBC...

A/N: Fast paced compared to my usual style. But don't worry, next chapter will settle in. After all, I was originally going to do all of this in just 2000 thousand words. Watch for the sister story of this fanfic, Naruto: Makaze Mangekyou. I PROMISE I'LL UPDATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Oh, and probably no pairing for this story.


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